Young, accomplished, and relatively unheralded railroad photographers are being showcased here. The newest (fourth) profile features Nicholas D'Amato from New Jersey, who was to the “manner” born. (His father Chris edits Railroad Model Craftsman.) For consideration or to recommend someone, contact us.
Our picture site, railroadheritage.org, is unique among railroad photographic sites on the Internet. How so? The descriptions explain the images and their importance. Featured entries include several showing the work of designer Otto Kuhler.
What began as an offshoot of railroadheritage.org, “North American Railroad History in a Nutshell,” has grown into a “Nutshell” series. The history Nutshell expanded from the Internet into print; copies are for sale. Our second Nutshell features Railroad Preservation. See the story in Trains Newsletter and send us your suggestions.
In 1942-43 during the early stages of World War II, photographer Jack Delano captured the story of America’s railroad industry in black-and-white and color images on behalf of the U.S. Farm Security Administration-Office of War Information. Delano’s extensive work in Chicago (Chicago Faces) appears on railroadheritage.org (searchable), and in a Trains Newsletter.
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Photography & Art
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Selected postcards from the David P. Oroszi Collection. Railroad postcards played significant roles in commercial advertising as well as personal photography from the late 19th through the mid 20th centuries. Oroszi, a life-long railroad enthusiast, photographer, and collector, owns some 6,000 railroad postcards; browse selections on railroadheritage.org.
Record Crowd Turns Out for “Conversations about Photography”
An enthusiastic, record crowd—more than 160 people—turned out for the Center's eighth annual “Conversations about Photography” conference April 23-25, 2010, on the campus of co-sponsor Lake Forest (Illinois) College. Six full-length presentations on railroad photography filled the program on Saturday. The conference opened with a dinner on Friday evening accompanied by a social gathering and an address, and concluded Sunday morning with two workshops—photographer David Plowden on his approach to photography and composition, followed by a panel discussion on the ins and outs of publishing railroad photography books. See photos from the weekend on the conference page.
Abbey Family Donates Photo Collection to Center
The railroad photographs of Wallace W. Abbey, who won an award for lifetime achievement in photography from the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society, have been donated to the Center as a gift from Abbey and his family: Martha J. Abbey, his wife, and Mary Abbey and Martha A. Miller, daughters. An initial selection, focusing on Abbey’s Favorites, is available in a gallery and also on railroadheritage.org.
2010 Photo Award Winners on Display at Sacramento
The 2010 Creative Photography Awards Program winners are on display at the California State Railroad Museum, Sacramento. Brandon Robert Smith of Norman, Oklahoma, a first time entrant, won the top prize. Interest in the program reached an all-time high with nearly 200 photographers submitting some 700 photographs, making for an extremely competitive year. The theme was “Beyond the Locomotive” and the judging was conducted by Kimberly Parker, director of the O. Winston Link Museum in Roanoke, Virginia. Concerning selecting the winners out of such a large and visually appealing group, she said, “Wow, what a tough process!” See all of the winning photographs on the Awards Page, along the winners' names.
Classic Steam: Timeless Photographs of North America Steam Railroading
Classic Steam, a 224-page, large format (12-1/2 in. by 12 in.) hardcover book produced in association with the Center, charts steam railroading from the late 1930s to the early 1960s in some 300 black and white and color photographs. Its author is John Gruber, president of the Center. A sample photograph of a locomotive engineer in Madison, Wisconsin, may be seen on railroadheritage.org. The Center has autographed copies for $40 including postage and handling.